Fencepost



July 20 1926.. 1,593,099

A. W. PLANTS FENCEPOST Filed Sept. 15, 1923 Patented July 20, 19.26.

UNETEE) STAT? ALEX WELLIS PLANTS, OF FAULKTON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

FENCEPOST.

Application filed. September 15, 1923. Serial No. 662,892.

The present invention relates to fence posts, and more particularly tosheet metal posts adapted to support wire strands across the same.

An object of this invention is to provide a sheet metal fence post withdevices for deflecting and clinching the ends of staples when the latterare driven into the openings of the post for fastening the wire strandsthereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fence post with meanswhich may he formed as an integral structure of the post in the act ofpunching or cutting the staple receiving openings therein for deflectingor turning over the free ends of the staples as they are driven intoplace.

It is the aim of this invention to eliminate the use of tools forclinching the ends of the staples after they are inserted in theopenings in the post and to provide a post which permits of quick andeasy fastening of fence strands thereto by simply driving in thestaples.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure of postwherein the metal which is cut out to form the staple re ceivingopenings is utilized to provide deflecting flanges or projections toengage the ends of the staples as they are driven into the posts,deflecting or curving the ends of the staples so as to either spread thestaples or overlap the ends of the same to clinch the staples in thepost.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this inventionwill in part be described in and in part be understood from thefollowing detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, thesame being illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a fence post constructed according to thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged section taken through a portion of thepost, showing a wire strand secured thereto by a staple clinched to thepost by the new construction.

Fig. 3 is a similar view with the wire strand and staple removed.

Fig. fl: is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification of post andshowing the strand and staple in relation thereto. and

Fig. 5 is a similar View with the strand and staple removed.

lleferring to the drawing, 10 designates a fence post constructed ofsheet metal, and which may be of angle iron construction as shown. 7

As shown in Fig. 3 the post 10 is provided in one side or leg witha pairof openings 11 adapted to receive the opposite ends of a staple and withthe metal of the post which is cut or stamped to form the openings 11bent inwardly at an inclination to form a pair of deflecting flanges orguide tongues 12 against which the ends of the staple are adapted towork and be deflected for clinching the staple in the post. In Fig. 3the flanges 12 are inter-connected through the portion of metal lyingbetween the openings 11 so that the metal between the openings issubstantially U-shape with the arms divergin g inwardly.

In use, a strand 13 of wire is placed across the post between theopenings 11. A. staple 1 1 is driven with its ends projecting into theopenings 11 and against the inclined flanges 12. The staple is thendriven into the pos 10 and the flanges 12 turn and deflect the ends ofthe staple 1d away from each other and into the position shown in Fig.2.

Fig. 5 shows a slight modification of post 5 which has openings 16therein for receiving the opposite ends of a staple 17. The portion ofmetal 18 lying between the openings 16 is flat and is severed from thecut or stamped portions 19 which leave the openings 16. lhe metalremoved from the openings 16 is bent inwardly at a suitable angle fromthe remote sides of the openings 16 to form deflecting flanges or guidetongues 19 against which the ends of the staple 17 are adapted to work.The flanges 19 are inclined at an angle so as to deflect the ends of thestaple and preferably converge inwardly, and may be curv d as shown in.Figs. 1 and 5 to round and deflect the ends of the staple to cause suchends to completely overlap and pass each other and to impart asubstantially circular formation to the head of the staple after thesame has been driven home The post 10 may have any suitable formation atits lower end and may he pointed as shown at 20 so that the post may bedriven into the ground on into a body of concrete 21.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may bemade in the details of construction and design of the ill) iii

above specifically described form of the in vention Without departinfrom the spirit thereof, these changes and modifications beingrestricted only by the scope of the following claiins.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. in a device oi? the class described a fence post of angleironincluding a front leg and a side leg right angled from an edge of thefront leg, said front leg havin the material thereof struck inwardlytherefrom in the same direction as the side leg at a pair oi spacedpoints to provide spaced openings, the material of the leg in theforming of said openings being bent inwardly at the inner side of saidfront leg to provide obliquely disposed guide tongues, and the partotsaid front leg between said openings providing an intervening portion,and a staple having the end portions thereof driven through the openingsof said front leg and deflecting in opposite directions by said guidetongues whereby said ends of the staples are disposed at the inner sideof the treat leg inwardly of the outer longitudinal edge of the side legof said post, said staple at the front surt'ace of said front leg oi?the post providing a loop having a transverse opening across theintervening portion between the openings therein for receiving \viretherethrough.

2.111 a device of the class described a n'ietal fence post including arelatively thin leg portion having a pair of spaced openin termed threin by striking the material el 35 the leg portion in projectingrelation beyond a side surface thereof to provide a pair of divergentguide tongi'ies, and a U shaped staple having a pair of leg portionsextending through the openings oi said leg of the fence post anddeflected in opposite directions by the divergent guide tongues.

ALEX WILLIS PLANES.

